Ever feel like that? Ever been there? All options exhausted. All exits blocked. Out of ideas and out of time. Daniel found himself in just such a situation centuries ago. He found himself in a den of hungry lions with no way out. And no, this is not a metaphor for his life at that time. Daniel was in an actual den full of real, not virtual, hungry lions. We read in Daniel 6:16-17,

“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.”

Ok, that sounds pretty final to me. A stone blocking the exit – “so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.” This sounds like the end of the story to me. BUT GOD – Imagine the king’s surprise when –

“At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’ Daniel answered, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent His angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.’ ” (Daniel 6:19-22)

It looked to everyone, including the king, like Daniel’s story was over. BUT GOD! But God intervened, sending His angel and shutting the mouths of the lions. It wasn’t the end of Daniel’s story at all. It was simply a plot twist, one quite unexpected to those who had orchestrated the events that put Daniel in the lions’ den in the first place. Daniel’s enemies did not foresee this surprise ending. They did not factor “BUT GOD” into their equation of events and possible outcomes. (they had been plotting Daniel’s demise for some time)

I’m sure they were very surprised in the morning to learn that Daniel was still alive and even more surprised at what happened next. It was quite the turn of events, to be sure.

“The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. . . . Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: . . . ‘I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.’ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” (Daniel 6:23-28)

What appeared to be Daniel’s downfall and destruction, became instead his stepping stone to a high position of service not only to the current king but also to the king who would succeed him. And what’s more, Daniel’s night with the lions brought honor and glory to God, as Daniel gave God thanks and praise for saving his life, telling the king that it was God who sent the angel and shut the lions’ mouths, not anything he, Daniel, was able to do.

Daniel’s story gives me hope when I am in my own den of lions. When the exit is blocked, all appeals exhausted, I am out of ideas and options – it is then I discover that it is just me and a bunch of hungry lions locked in with me, leaving me to wonder if I will survive the night. Peter warned about this in 1 Peter 5:8 when he said,

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Then I remember that it is not just me and the lions in this place of no escape. God is right there with me, just as He was with Daniel. He is still an Omnipresent God. When I find myself alone with the lions, King David’s words come to mind –

“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:1-3)

Today it is easy to feel hemmed in by circumstances that elude our control. Evil, deception and division seem to be devouring innocent lives. There seems to be no way of escape. BUT GOD! He is my hope today and every day. There may be no way out of the lions’ den – BUT GOD! He is –

“able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20)

“But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to Himself.” (Psalm 49:15)

sincerely, Grace Day

Each of our stories have “but God” moments in them, and Jonah, an Old Testament prophet of God, is no exception. This particular part of Jonah’s life story starts when he receives a very important assignment from his boss, God.

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.’ But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.” (Jonah 1:1-3)

So Jonah is not only refusing the assignment he’s been given, he also decides to run away and hide from God. I guess that seemed like a good plan to Jonah at the time but he obviously hadn’t read Psalm 139:7-12 or he wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble to try and run from God. After all, the words King David wrote are pretty clear –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.”

Jonah was on a ship sailing to “the far side of the sea” but he was not escaping God’s presence. God was pursuing Jonah as we see in what happens next.

“Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god.” (Jonah 1:4-5)

Eventually the sailors determined that Jonah was responsible for their plight, so they began to question him, demanding to know who he was and who he worked for.

“He answered, ‘I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.’ This terrified them and they asked, ‘What have you done?’ (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)” Meanwhile, we are told that, “The sea was getting rougher and rougher.” (Jonah 1:9-11)

Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard in order to save the ship and themselves. They didn’t want to do this, but eventually they did throw Jonah into the sea even as they cried out to God, begging Him not to hold them responsible for taking Jonah’s life.

“Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.” (Jonah 1:15)

So the sailors and their ship were saved and Jonah was cast into the sea and left to drown. Seems like a fitting and just ending for someone who defied God, someone who refused to obey God’s explicit instructions, someone who instead, ran away in the opposite direction. That someone was Jonah and now Jonah was drowning in the sea, the same sea that he had hoped would be his means of escape from God and from God’s plans for him. Now, however, Jonah’s escape route had become his death trap, his path to freedom was now his watery grave.

Jonah’s story appears to have reached its predictable ending, given Jonah’s outright rebellion against God. Except that his story is not over at this point, even though it would seem to be at its inevitable conclusion. What happens next, is the unforeseen plot twist, the unanticipated “but God” moment. Jonah is drowning –

“But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17)

Probably not the most comfy place to be for someone needing to do some soul searching and repenting – but it was just the right place for Jonah to do both – and he did just that. Our story continues –

“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: ‘In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and You listened to my cry. . . . The engulfing waters threatened me, . . . But You brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered You, Lord, and my prayer rose to You, to Your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ” (Jonah 2:1-9)

God could have let Jonah drown, but He is a merciful, forgiving God – a God of second chances – infinite second chances. How glad I am for that truth! What happened next?

“And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto the dry land. Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.’ Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.” (Jonah 2:10 & 3:1-3)

Jonah let that large city know they were going to be destroyed in forty days. This was the message God had sent Jonah to deliver – a warning to the city. In response to Jonah’s warning, the people of the city fasted and prayed and turned from their evil ways. Next we read –

“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” (Jonah 3:10)

Like Jonah, the Ninevites also got a second chance. Their city was not destroyed. They called upon God and God showed them mercy, just as He had with Jonah in providing the great fish. A happy, hopeful ending all round.

Our story ends with Jonah being miffed at God for not destroying the formerly wicked city of Nineveh. Which is odd, because Jonah received a second chance. Why would Jonah begrudge the Ninevites the same mercy he himself had so recently received? (note to self – don’t be like Jonah!)

I have to ask myself – how many times has my Heavenly Father sent a proverbial great fish to rescue me when I am drowning due to my own disobedience? or drowning simply due to the unavoidable storms in this life? Being swallowed by a fish isn’t pleasant, but sometimes it’s the only way to the second chance that I so desire.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)

Jonah received some training during his days in the belly of the great fish, no doubt. He was drowning and the great city of Nineveh was doomed to imminent destruction. “But God” – “But the Lord provided a great fish” – Jonah was saved and Nineveh was spared. “But God” – those “but God” moments always change the outcome of the story by providing a second chance. Jonah summed it up when he said this to God –

“I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (Jonah 4:2)

The circumstances surrounding you and I, dear readers, in the world today, may suggest that the endings to the stories that you and I are living out have already been decided, written in permanent ink, as it were. But this is not true. There is always hope because there is always a “but God” moment in each and every one of our stories – usually more than one of those moments along the way.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for all the great fish You have sent to rescue me each and every time I have been drowning.

“But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to Himself.” (Psalm 49:15)

sincerely, Grace Day

Samuel worked for God and he was on assignment. Israel needed a new king and Samuel was on his way to Jesse of Bethlehem because God had chosen one of Jesse’s eight sons to be Israel’s next king. God hadn’t told Samuel which son was the chosen one, but had simply said to Samuel “. . . I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate.” (1 Samuel 16:3)

Now a little back story here. Samuel was an Old Testament prophet, a man of God who spoke God’s word to Israel. Israel’s current king, Saul, had fallen out of favor with God because he had disobeyed God’s instructions to him, given through Samuel. It was time for a new king and Samuel’s assignment at the moment was to identify and anoint Saul’s successor. But Samuel almost picked the wrong guy. In 1 Samuel 16:6-7, we read what happened,

“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ ”

And that makes all the difference in the world – “but the Lord” – He alone has the unique ability to look at people’s hearts (because He made them) rather than rely on their physical appearance in order to make any sort of a judgement. This could explain why God is the only one “who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23) He sees our hearts. In Hebrews 4:12-13 we read this about God’s word –

” . . . it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

My eyesight is limited to the physical realm and isn’t all that clear a lot of the time, except maybe in hindsight. But my Heavenly Father has perfect vision in every aspect, both physical and spiritual, and His past, present and future vision are all perfect too.

Samuel saw Eliab’s height and made an assumption that he was destined to become Israel’s next king. Samuel would have made a big mistake – “But the Lord” spoke to Samuel and instructed him saying “but the Lord looks at the heart.” Samuel listened to God. Jesse introduced each of his sons to Samuel until finally –

“Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one.’ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.” (1 Samuel 16:12-13)

Samuel would have gotten it wrong – “but God.” That’s the story of my life. I have a plan – “but God” – God has a better plan. How many times does He save me from myself? (that’s a rhetorical question) I am grateful for God’s intervention in my life each and every day. Where would I be except “but God”?

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

sincerely, Grace Day

Every day I am grateful for the “but God” moments in my life. Those are the moments when God shows up to rescue me from the certain destruction that is the obvious ending to my story, save God’s miraculous intervention on my behalf, providing me with a last minute plot twist leading to a happy ending instead. It is God’s intervention that makes all the difference in the outcome of my story and in the outcomes of other’s stories as well.

Some “but God” stories are more widely known than others. Such is the case with the story of a man named Noah. His is quite the iconic story. Had God not intervened however, I doubt we would even know Noah’s name today. But God did have a plan, which we read about in Genesis chapter six, and that plan included Noah.

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, . . . So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth’ . . . But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:5-8)

Yes, there is a “but Noah” moment in this story. That’s because Noah found favor with God. So God told Noah of His plan to destroy the earth. He instructed Noah to build an ark, a really big ark that could hold his family and of course animals, lots of animals.

“So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. . . . So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; . . . I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, . . . Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark – you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female . . . ” (Genesis 6:13-19)

Noah obeyed God and built this boat in spite of the fact that he had never experienced rain on the earth in all of his six-hundred years. Nevertheless, “Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.” (Genesis 7:5)

“In the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month – on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. . . . as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. . . . They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. . . . Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.” (Genesis 7:11, 17-24)

I wonder if Noah and his family felt hopeless at this point in their story? They were stuck in a boat and there was no dry land anywhere. Then we read these words in Genesis 8:1,

“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”

“But God” – such welcome words, which changed the course of the story. The rains stopped, the winds came and the flood waters eventually dried up. Noah, his family and all the animals eventually were able to exit the ark and once again inhabit the earth. It was a new beginning, marked by a covenant God established with Noah. We read about it in Genesis chapter eight –

“Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ‘I now establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you – . . . Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. . . . Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’ ” (Genesis 9:8-16)

To this day, we still see rainbows in the sky after a storm. Rainbows are reminders of God’s covenant, made so long ago with Noah – a covenant that continues still to this day. Rainbows remind me that God is faithful to all His promises, even when I am not. Storms often leave destruction in their wake. The rainbow after the storm reminds me that God is still present and will restore what the storm has taken in His timing. God Himself said that He will see the rainbow and remember His promise.

The rainbow is God’s tangible gift to us, signifying His eternal, abiding presence with us. When we come through a storm, His rainbow reminds us that He has not forgotten us nor His covenant with us. The rainbow is hope on display for all to see and know that He alone is God. The rainbow reminds me that my next “but God” moment is much closer than I know because the rainbow literally says – “The earth was destroyed – BUT GOD!”

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

sincerely, Grace Day

Don’t you just love the surprise ending you didn’t see coming, the last-minute plot twist that turns everything upside down and leaves you speechless? I know I do. Some of my favorite books, movies and stories are those with the unexpected ending that I didn’t see coming. (which is why it was unexpected in the first place) I like a mystery that surprises me at the end, when the villain is revealed and it is not the person I had thought it was all along. This forces me to look back and reevaluate all the “clues” I missed, now that I am viewing the story from a completely different perspective – the perfect perspective of hindsight.

The Bible is filled with stories that turn out very differently than what I would predict when just hearing the story for the first time. (must be why I love reading it so much) The stories in the Bible are full of unexpected, unlikely, stunningly surprising twists, turns and endings in the lives of most of the individuals whose stories are told as part of the larger narrative that is God’s story. Here I see God’s presence and participation in the lives of those He has created, working through them to write His story, accomplishing His good and eternal purposes.

Because we have free will, there is always lots of drama in the story and it often looks as if evil has won. But appearances can be deceiving and if I have learned anything it is this – never give up hope. God is in the redemption business. No matter how events are unfolding in any particular person’s story, I hang on to these words from Psalm 33:11,

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”

There’s that all important – “but God” – or in this case “but God’s plans” – His plans are the ones that will prevail. And that is the case in today’s “but God” story – the story of Joseph. This is such a familiar and popular story that it has even been told as a musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Yes, Joseph did receive a very special coat from his father, Jacob. That’s probably when all the trouble started and where our story starts in earnest. Joseph was number eleven of twelve brothers and being shown this kind of favoritism by his father did not sit well with his brothers.

To say they were jealous is kind of an understatement. They wanted Joseph dead and plotted to kill him. Turns out instead of killing Joseph, they simply sold him to a slave caravan heading to Egypt. They told their father a wild animal had killed Joseph and they thought their problem was solved – they were rid of the brother of whom they were so jealous. Good riddance – right?

Meanwhile Joseph’s story continues with him living as a slave in Egypt. He finds favor and eventually attains a position as manager, in charge of his master’s entire household – that is, until he is put in jail due to false allegations of seducing his master’s wife. You would think his story ends here because he’s in jail with no hope for his release. But no, there’s a second act and Joseph gets a second chance. While in jail, Joseph correctly interprets dreams for two fellow prisoners, who just happen to be Pharaoh’s former cupbearer and baker. This eventually leads to his being called to do the same for Pharaoh. Next thing we know, Joseph is out of prison and is put in charge of all of Egypt. He is now second only to Pharaoh. This would be a good ending to Joseph’s story, it seems to me.

But it’s not up to me and there is more – a final plot twist as it were. There is a widespread famine in the land and many people come to Egypt to purchase food because under Joseph’s wise leadership, Egypt has stored up an abundance of food in preparation for the coming famine. And who should journey to Egypt in hopes of finding food but Joseph’s brothers. That’s right. The very same brothers that sold Joseph into slavery all those years ago.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking at this point in the story? Joseph finally has the opportunity to get back at his brothers for the evil they did to him. He could refuse to sell them food and let them starve. They would get what they deserved, right? But that’s not what happened. Not even close. Our story takes an unexpected turn, ending this way –

“But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis 50:19-21)

Now that’s a surprise ending! – totally unexpected. Who could have seen that coming? Forgiveness, kindness, provision for the brothers who had betrayed him in the worst way. Why? Notice that Joseph’s words to his brothers contain the words “but God” – they intended him harm “but God intended it for good . . . the saving of many lives.”

so there it is, today’s plot twist brought to us by the words “but God” – two of my favorite words for sure.

“But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15)

sincerely, Grace Day

There are lots of things which I don’t want to run low – gas in my car for instance or ice cream in my freezer or of course Lipton Green Tea Citrus or toilet paper or duct tape (the solution to all things broken). Also, furnace filters, water softener salt and toothpaste, shampoo etc. – these are things I dread to discover I have run out of at the very moment I have need of them. Imagine realizing that you are missing a critical ingredient to what you are baking when you are already in the middle of the process and all the stores are closed, or that seeking solace, you fling open the freezer door only to find it empty of ice cream!

This is why I don’t like to run low on anything critical, because the next step after running low is always running out and then it is too late. Why is this on my mind now? Because for the past week or more I have been battling with my cell phone battery. It was happening so slowly at first, I hardly noticed. But then it became impossible not to notice – the battery was not holding a charge like it used to do. It was taking longer and longer to charge the battery fully and my phone is feeling very warm to the touch while charging. Now it will no longer charge to 100%, no matter how long I leave it plugged in and if I need to unplug my phone to take it with me, the charge is not lasting long at all. At this point it dawns on me, if I can’t unplug my cell phone from the wall, it has essentially become a land line.

I have ordered a replacement battery and am anxiously awaiting its arrival, wondering if it will get here in time, before this battery completely gives out (or burns up – whichever occurs first). In the meantime, I am dependent on a phone that is not dependable because its power source is always running low, never fully charged and has even run out several times, leaving me with no phone service, wondering how we all survived before the advent of cell phones.

Admit it, some of us can remember a time before cell phones if we think back far enough. How did we ever manage our lives without being in constant communication? I wonder if things would have gone differently for Deborah Kerr and Carey Grant in “An Affair to Remember” if they could have communicated via cell phone and he wouldn’t have mistakenly thought she was a “no show” and didn’t love him? Cell phones are no doubt changing the course of history one relationship at a time, perhaps – but not if their power source (battery) is running low.

Now that my cell phone is constantly losing power and dying, I am experiencing that feeling of being cut off, stranded, isolated – until I can get somewhere where I can plug it into a power source and attempt to revive it. I gotta say, lately I have been feeling a little like my cell phone battery – as if I, too, am running low. And like my battery, I can’t seem to fully recharge. I get a little lift, but it doesn’t last long. Soon my running low has become running out and then it is too late.

For my cell phone battery, the answer is to plug it into an electrical outlet and let it receive the energy it needs to power my phone. For me, I am reminded the answer is similar. I need to find a source of power to attach myself to if I am to be revived, before my running low completely runs out. I find the answer in John 15 where Jesus says to His disciples,

“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; . . . If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (John 15:4-7)

Some translations say, “abide in Me” or “live in Me and I in you”, making it really clear to me that Jesus, as the living Vine, is my source of life and He will supply me with everything I need to live this life. I just have to stay connected to Him so as not to run low or run out. His supply is infinite, so I won’t ever run low, but instead I will overflow, “bearing much fruit” as He promised. I will be fully charged at all times, not lacking anything, as long as I am a branch connected to the source of power, the source of life, the Vine, which is Jesus.

Unlike my phone’s battery, I never have to run low because I can abide in my power source continuously, since He is omnipresent. I don’t have to unplug and wait until I can find another power source with which to connect. Jesus says, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” I have the joy of this constant connection, empowering me to meet each day’s challenges fully charged. Actually, Paul describes this power in Ephesians 1:19 in these words,

“and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

That is unimaginable power – resurrection power! I never need to live depleted and drained of power. When I find my battery is running low, that’s a warning to me that I am becoming separated from the Vine and beginning to wither. But when I am connected to the Vine, I never run low, only overflow with God’s good gifts of forgiveness, love, compassion, hope, kindness and more, which He pours out continuously through all His fruit-bearing branches. Thank You, Lord, for Your infinite supply. I need never run low as long as I remain in You.

“but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

sincerely, Grace Day

On this particular hot summer afternoon, I found her backyard full of tables, tents and toys, along with balloons, decorations, food, meat on the grill, presents and cake – a large birthday cake – because this was a birthday party. The guest of honor? Her son, who was today now one year old. Something to celebrate. One whole year of life and growth. And many there were of us who showed up to rejoice in this little one’s life being now a year on this earth with us.

We mark our years with birthday celebrations, while hopefully remembering that each day of the past year has been a gift from God, even though some of those days may have contained sickness or sorrow or some other setbacks that life here on earth cannot help but contain for each of us at times. On this day, memories came to my mind of birthday parties past for my own children, now grown, memories of similar celebrations marking their passages from year to year with the pomp and circumstance befitting their advancing ages.

Locations, themes and decorations changed throughout the years (from ninja turtles and princesses to more sophisticated themes) but some things remain constant no matter what the age – the cake, the candles, the singing of the birthday song – these are the indispensables of any birthday celebration. As I pondered birthdays, my grandpa’s one-hundredth birthday party came to mind. That was a big event. There were many years to remember and to give thanks for at that time. And so we did.

Birthdays are basically at their core, celebrations of life. Whether one or one-hundred years old, the miracle of life is a gift that is worthy of our gratitude and the giving of our thanks for the one whose life we are celebrating. There may have been tough times over the past year, illnesses, accidents, etc. which may have called into question if there would even be another birthday to celebrate, making the milestone of another birthday all the more precious and remarkable and worthy of throwing a party in order to remember and rejoice over the precious person’s life whose birthday it is.

My grandpa overcame way too much to tell in this short space, in order to reach his one-hundred years of age. Likewise, many one-year-olds, maybe because of premature birth or other health hazards, have also overcome enormous odds just to reach that one-year milestone in their lives. Every birthday is a milestone. Every birthday is a miracle. Every birthday represents three-hundred and sixty-five days of God’s goodness, provision and protection in the life of the one whose birthday it is.

Birthdays mean we have survived, even overcome what lies behind us. Birthdays are filled with promise and possibility for the one who makes a wish and blows out the candles, hoping for a brighter future as they continue to grow and change. Birthdays become even more meaningful with age it seems. We can look back and see what impossible things God has brought us through and so gain courage to face what will surely lie ahead. Having learned from our mistakes, sustained by the courage of our convictions, we continue to grow, as all living things do.

I thought my grandpa’s birthday party had the oldest guest of honor of any party I had ever attended. But today, I realize that has never been true. Today, decorations are out, grills are heated, food, family and friends are gathered in backyards and parks across the country, while fireworks light up skies from the Atlantic to the Pacific, proclaiming freedom for one and for all. Why? Because today is a birthday. It is the birthday of our nation. The cake needed is a big one because today we celebrate the two-hundred forty-sixth birthday of our country.

With fireworks for candles, and Overture of 1812 or “My Country tis of Thee” or “God Bless America” for a birthday song, cherry pie for cake and flags flying everywhere for decorations, we celebrate another year of freedom with parades and outdoor concerts and cookouts. Today may we look back and acknowledge all that God has brought us through and all that He has blessed us with as a nation. May we know that all we have received has been from His gracious and merciful hand.

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. . . . The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:13-16)

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

From this self-reflection as a nation, may we gain the courage to face the challenges of today and those that lie ahead. I pray that those who have given their lives over the years will not have died in vain – those that died in the Revolutionary War so that we could be a free and sovereign nation, no longer a colony of a crown, subject to a royal ruler – nor those who died in the Civil War so that everyone would be free in this country, not just some, they believed this so deeply they died to make men free, – nor those who died in either world war, in the second dying so that those in the death camps could be freed – we did not allow Freedom’s ring to be silenced then – nor can we remain silent now, allowing Freedom to die while we are busy doing other things. What could be more important than acknowledging the God from whom all our blessings flow and all our freedoms?

When we celebrate the birthdays of our children, friends and family members, we celebrate the good in their lives while helping them to overcome whatever needs to change in their lives so that they can reach their full potential. As we celebrate our country’s birthday today, let us do the same for her. Honor and hold fast to the good in her, passed down to us over the past two-hundred forty-six years, even as we continue to grow more fully into that city on a hill, that beacon of light for the rest of the world, as we rest and rely on our faith in Almighty God and on the constitution, together they are our nation’s firm foundation. Our constitution guarantees us our God-given rights. It has stood the test of time and will continue to do so as long as we continue to honor it and do not ignore it.

I pray today, on this birthday of my beloved country, that, “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” (Gettysburg Address)

Happy Birthday U.S.A.!

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

sincerely, Grace Day

“I see things so much more clearly now than I did years ago,” she stated matter of factly to the rest of us in the group. What a bold claim coming from someone who is – well – advanced in years, shall we say? Everyone knows our eyesight weakens with age, becoming less sharp, less clear. That’s why glasses were invented. So her claim to be seeing more clearly now, would appear preposterous if taken literally.

However, she was referring more metaphorically to the lens through which she viewed life and its events becoming more focused and less blurry as life experience informed her age. So her mind’s vision, or heart’s vision or her spiritual vision was improving with age. Some call that wisdom. Some call it the gift of experience. That’s probably why they say hindsight is 20/20 – we see clearly when we look back that which was not clear to us when we were in the midst of it.

It was Mark Twain who said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” Now that I am no longer “the young”, I couldn’t agree more with his wise words. Perfect vision is one of those attributes of youth, that atrophies with age. But, as this wise woman observed, though our physical eyesight grows weaker over time, we nonetheless began to see things more clearly as time passes. In fact, the end result will be perfect vision one day. I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to that day when my vision is restored, so that I can see perfectly.

“Now I see through a glass darkly; but then I shall see face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) Or the NLT translation says it this way –

“Now we/I see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we/I will see everything with perfect clarity.”

Perfect vision – perhaps if I saw more clearly, I would make fewer mistakes. I wouldn’t misjudge, or misstep or misspeak so often. I want to ask God the same thing King David asked of Him in Psalm 119:18,

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.”

It is my Heavenly Father who gives me vision in the first place.

“the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.” (Psalm 146:8)

Even as my physical eyesight grows dimmer, God is already at work improving the vision He wants to give me. And Jesus gives a really good tip for improving my eyesight in Matthew chapter seven. It has to do with how I view other people and Jesus has this to say,

“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)

Good advice for improving my eyesight – get all the planks out. The world, including other people, will look quite different once I am seeing more clearly. When I am viewing the world and others with the vision God gives me, I doubt I will be concerned with any possible specks in the eyes of others. Seeing people as God sees them is a view full of compassion, empathy and care that my cloudy vision never shows me. I need to see things as God sees them, with the sight He gives me.

This happened to Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6:17, when Elisha wanted him to see what he couldn’t see on his own –

“Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are making my vision clearer, not dimmer, with age, because You continue to walk with me, teaching me, that I might gain knowledge and understanding from Your living Word, giving me an ever clearer perspective. And on that day when “my faith shall be sight,” I shall have that promised perfect vision at last! And then –

“I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:27)

sincerely, Grace Day

Is that because the news is always bad? Therefore, the absence of news is a good thing? I have found lately, that I am not the only one who avoids watching the news these days. Filled with current catastrophes and dire predictions of calamities to come, the news leaves me feeling anxious, fearful, powerless, hopeless and alone. It portrays a world I do not recognize, one that I do not feel safe in. Do you, like me, long for some good news, some hopeful, encouraging news that makes today bearable and tomorrow look brighter?

The people in Jesus’s day had been waiting for centuries for some good news. And then it arrived in the person of Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph, just as predicted so long ago. But would they recognize the good news when it was taking place right before their eyes? John the Baptist was put in prison for proclaiming good news (perhaps like today, those in power preferred fear to keep people down rather than hope which lifts people up) and he began to doubt. So John sent some people to Jesus to ask Him if He was the One they had been waiting for. Jesus replied –

“Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Luke 7:22)

That is a lot of good news! And it was taking place everywhere Jesus went. Jesus was healing people, feeding people, turning water into wine, dead people into living people and the good news was being preached to the poor! This was significant. God’s love, care and miracles were not just for rich, influential people in positions of power. The good news of God was being preached freely and for free to anyone who would listen, including the poor. Isaiah had predicted this very thing, saying –

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Isaiah’s words are full of good news and Jesus was fulfilling every one of those good news bearing predictions. The poor were receiving good news for a change, there was healing for the brokenhearted, freedom, release from darkness, God’s favor, comfort, provision, beauty where desolation had been, gladness replacing mourning, praise in place of despair – this is the kind of news that people long to hear. It is news that causes celebration and brings hope.

We could use some of that good news today for sure. And the good news is – that same good news is unchanged and readily available to you and to me today, for free, just as it was then. It is called the Gospel. Now “gospel” literally means “good news.” And mankind, being under sin’s curse, desperately needs some good news. Jesus came preaching repentance, redemption and forgiveness of sins, resulting in reconciliation with God. Definitely good news.

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

That’s really good news. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) More really good news!

Paul said in Romans 1:16 –

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

In these days when I feel surrounded by bad news, I realize I can turn my thoughts to all the good news contained in the Gospel, God’s message of good news to all of us. The angel proclaimed as much on the night of Jesus’s birth saying to the shepherds,

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12)

This was good news, full of hope and promise and cause for rejoicing. It is still good news today – still full of hope and promise – still a reason to rejoice. Today, when bad news seems to be inescapable, I will remember Paul’s advice to the Philippians –

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. . . . And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

thank You, Heavenly Father, that the goodness of Your good news, which is eternal, is far greater than the badness of the bad news, which is temporal –

sincerely, Grace Day

I was surprised to realize that she had inched her desk closer to mine. Students don’t usually move toward the teacher’s desk. They usually move in the opposite direction, putting as much distance as possible between their desk and the teacher’s. (at least in high school, anyway) Which is why this move on her part was so unusual and why it caught my attention. Her classmates were engaged talking with each other or on their phones, many with ear pods in, oblivious to anything going on around them.

I could tell much was on her mind and that was not surprising in the least. The teenage years have notoriously been tumultuous in every era of history. Why should it be any different for today’s teenagers? These are traditionally the years of self exploration and self discovery. Teens are searching to find their place in society, to find where they fit in. Historically, the first and foremost desire of every teen is to fit in, to be accepted, to be “popular.” Actually, this could be true for any age group, but the desire for acceptance does seem more intense during the teen years.

So today’s teens are no different from the teens of generations past. Well, throw in a pandemic, fear, social chaos, forced isolation, the suspension of school along with its sports, clubs, activities and opportunities, no after school jobs as most places closed, churches, community centers and libraries closed (which are sources of support and social services) and no family gatherings – and it’s really not surprising that students’ burdens and behaviors are more challenging than ever before.

While I was debating whether I should engage her in conversation, she broke the silence and began talking to me. She needed a safe place to vent and I was happy to oblige. I listened, glad I didn’t have to say anything, fearful if I did, I would say the wrong words or use the wrong pronouns – there are so many rules these days and not being on any social media myself, I am always behind on what is current and what is already “so yesterday.”

She certainly did have the weight of the world on her shoulders. I assumed it would be the weighty decisions of deciding on college or no? and if so, which one? and what to pick as a major? or the weight of navigating the ever changing labyrinth of friends and boyfriends – in teenage world, today’s best friend is tomorrow’s arch enemy and today’s soulmate for life is tomorrow’s disdained discard in favor of a new forever love. The constant is constantly changing one’s mind about everything, clothes, music, friends, loves, careers, passions, – it is one continuous search for identity.

She was clearly miserable, experiencing heartache, rejection and uncertainty about finding her place in the future in this world. At this point she speculated that perhaps if she were a “he”, life would make more sense, she (now he) would be happier, life would be less painful and she (he) would finally fit in and her (his) problems would be behind her, (him). My heart went out to her as I continued to listen.

Then it hit me – no other generation has ever had this option before, when struggling, as we all do, to find our identity and our place in the world. Never before has changing our gender been a part of the process of growing up, of growing into an adult. Most of us changed our minds often during the childhood and teen years about food, fashion, friends, music, pastimes, people and what we wanted to be when we grew up. We didn’t have the added burden of righting some cosmic wrong and rectifying the mistake that the culture was telling us we might be if we are currently unhappy as we are.

No wonder she was conflicted and confused. Life is hard, life is painful – at any age and for both genders. There is simply no escape from this reality. She continued talking. I continued listening with growing empathy for this young girl in search of her identity. She indicated she was gender fluid or maybe nonbinary? It occurs to me this is one way to deal with this new burden of having to choose between being male or being female. Don’t choose. Keep all your options open. (that used to be called “playing the field”) This explains why students dress one way one day and a totally different way another day.

Not choosing, also postpones the need to decide on body altering surgery. It buys more time while children continue their search to find out who they are and where they fit in. I don’t think I’d fully realized how much social pressure there is currently on children and teens to make a life-long choice at such a young age. Must be overwhelming to have the responsibility of being your own creator, instead of leaving that to the God of the universe and finding your identity, purpose and place in the One who is your Creator – and not only your Creator, but the Creator of everyone and everything.

Giving that responsibility back to Creator God, would take quite a load off of anyone’s shoulders. Then they would know that they already have a place, a purpose and an identity as a completely loved, perfectly created child of God. This is what I wished that the student at my desk could know – she doesn’t have to recreate herself – she has already been created – perfectly created in the image of God – a God who knows her, loves her and values her just as she is. King David acknowledged this truth when he said,

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-16) Further confirmation is found in Ephesians 2:10 –

“For we are (Iam/you are) God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us (me/you) to do.”

Some translations say we are God’s “masterpieces” – if only we realized how “wonderfully and fearfully made” each of us is, perhaps we would be more accepting of ourselves and of each other. I feel sure that when I can accept myself, faults, weaknesses and all, then I am more willing to accept others with their shortcomings. Acceptance paves the way for more acceptance. Because my Creator, Heavenly Father, completely accepts me, I can show that same inclusive acceptance to other people.

The bell rang, cutting our conversation short. Still, I felt the weight of her burden sticking with me, unshakable and unnecessary at the same time. Unnecessary because God never meant for us to bear the burden of creating or designing ourselves. He took care of that for us.

“Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3)

God made us! And He did it perfectly. We don’t have to remake ourselves. We belong! We belong to the Creator of the universe – we are His! How wonderful to belong to Someone! In His “flock” I find my place. I also find my purpose as His “workmanship/masterpiece/handiwork” because I am clearly told I was created for a purpose, a purpose which God prepared beforehand in anticipation of my existence!

I realize that the students I see every day, just like the rest of us, are sheep without a shepherd, lost and searching, until they find the Good Shepherd, Jesus. When I did, I found my place, my purpose and my identity. They too, will find all that they seek when they find Jesus, who said –

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. . . . I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:11 &10)

my place, my purpose, my identity, a fulfilled life – I found them all in the One who created me in the first place, and you will, too, dear readers – as I pray this confused generation will as well – find their identity in the One who created them and loves them without reservation and beyond measure – because we are created in His image (which is our eternal identity) – because we are the work of His hands –

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,’ . . . So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)

“The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9)

sincerely, Grace Day